What a complete fiasco!

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I might have mentioned before that I have been volunteering with the Volunteer Driver Service – providing low-cost transport for people to get to medical appointments etc. Drivers do get a mileage reimbursement for fuel but we give our time for free. We choose what journeys we want to accept and get sent details of the person’s name, address, phone number, where they want to go and what time to pick them up and drop them off. Most of the time things go fairly smoothly but today really was a total fiasco! I set off as usual and while I was sitting in traffic getting through the city I called the passenger to say I was on the way. When I arrived at the residential street and found the house I rang the bell and knocked on the door - no answer. So I called again and said I had arrived, and she told me she was standing outside her door! Clearly she wasn't, I was, so I asked if I had the right address, thinking I might have got the wrong house number or something, but she told me she was in a village about 12 miles away! This was at least half an hour's drive away in the morning traffic so there was not much chance I could get there, pick her up and take her to the health centre by the appointment time of 9:15, but I said I could try to get there. I called the coordinator to explain/ ask what to do, and to ask if they could talk to her so I could start driving, and I set off. I got as far as the outskirts of the city on the other side when I got a call to say she had rearranged her appointment for 12 noon. It was now 9 am so a bit of a pain, but I agreed that I should be able to do that journey as well, but would probably go home first. But then I did a bit of research and found that her village has a cafe, so I thought that rather than go home and then out again, I would go there, have a coffee and do some work in the cafe until it was time to pick her up – I had my laptop with me anyway as I had planned to do some work while I waited for her to complete her appointment as I was also scheduled to take her home again. So I set off again and this time got out of the city and onto country roads through some villages, before I got a call saying that the passenger had now cancelled her appointment. So two hours and 29.7 miles later I was back home again. What a total waste of time, and fuel (and of course unnecessary pollution! Nowadays I feel guilty driving anywhere!). At least it was a lovely sunny morning for a drive! All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2024.